Scottish Executive

Air Services

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it, or any of its agencies, provided any financial support in connection with the bid for the new Inverness to Birmingham air route; what funding it will make available for the next three years; how much funding has been provided to date, broken down by individual payments; to whom such payments have been made, and what funding was provided prior to the awarding of the route in order to secure it.

Nicol Stephen: Support was provided for the Inverness to Birmingham service by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd and the Interim Route Development Fund (IRDF), the details of which are commercially confidential. Investment from the IRDF goes to the airport operator to enhance the discounts it offers on landing charges for new direct air services, and no payments were made prior to the commencement of this service.

  Separately from the IRDF, Inverness and Nairn Enterprise is providing assistance towards the training of pilots based in the Highlands and Islands.

Cities

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre copies of all submissions received to its consultation paper Business Improvement Districts as soon as possible so that members may consider them prior to the parliamentary debate on building better cities scheduled to be held on 30 October 2003.

Tavish Scott: Copies of submissions to the Business Improvement Districts consultation paper have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 29738).

Civil Servants

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil service jobs have been, or are due to be, relocated from Edinburgh.

Tavish Scott: Since 1999, approximately 500 civil service posts in the Scottish administration have been, or are due to be, relocated from Edinburgh across Scotland.

Civil Servants

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil service jobs there were in (a) the Scottish Executive, (b) Executive agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Mr Andy Kerr: The full-time equivalent number of permanent staff employed in each year since 1999 in the core departments of the Scottish Executive is provided in Table A. Information on this basis is not held routinely at the centre for agencies and associated departments but Table B provides the information held by the Scottish Executive for agencies and associated departments for April 2000 and September 2003. Where available the figures are broken down by local authority area. The Scottish Executive does not hold data on non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs).

  Table A: Civil Servants (Full-Time Equivalents) in the Scottish Executive Core, by Local Authority Area.

  

 Local 
  Authority
 Year


 1999 
  Oct
 2000 
  April
 2000 
  Sept
 2001 
  Sept
 2002 
  Sept
 2003 
  Sept


 Scotland
  
  3,417.3 
  
  3,925.3 
  
  3,934.2 
  
  3,949.1 
  
  4,110.6 
  
  4,260.6 


 Aberdeen City
  
  - 
  
  14.5 
  
  28.4 
  
  1.0 
  
  - 
  
  - 


 Aberdeenshire
  
  69.9 
  
  67.6 
  
  68.8 
  
  76.1 
  
  71.6 
  
  74.3 


 Angus
  
  2.5 
  
  2.5 
  
  2.5 
  
  2.8 
  
  2.8 
  
  2.8 


 Argyll and Bute
  
  22.5 
  
  24.5 
  
  22.5 
  
  27.5 
  
  26.5 
  
  25.5 


 City of Edinburgh
  
  2,742.9 
  
  3,033.9 
  
  3,013.5 
  
  3,052.6 
  
  3,211.1 
  
  3,349.6 


 Clackmannanshire
  
  1.0 
  
  1.0 
  
  1.0 
  
  1.0 
  
  1.0 
  
  1.0 


 Dumfries and Galloway
  
  33.0 
  
  33.0 
  
  34.0 
  
  32.0 
  
  36.2 
  
  36.2 


 Dundee City
  
  36.0 
  
  49.4 
  
  48.4 
  
  41.0 
  
  36.0 
  
  36.0 


 East Lothian
  
  10.8 
  
  11.9 
  
  11.0 
  
  11.0 
  
  9.8 
  
  11.9 


 Eilean Siar
  
  19.9 
  
  18.5 
  
  21.5 
  
  19.0 
  
  21.4 
  
  20.4 


 Glasgow City
  
  211.9 
  
  366.2 
  
  386.0 
  
  381.7 
  
  385.4 
  
  399.6 


 Highland
  
  64.8 
  
  74.9 
  
  84.5 
  
  80.5 
  
  80.0 
  
  72.3 


 Moray
  
  6.0 
  
  6.0 
  
  6.0 
  
  8.5 
  
  10.5 
  
  9.5 


 Orkney
  
  16.0 
  
  15.0 
  
  15.0 
  
  16.0 
  
  14.0 
  
  13.5 


 Perth and Kinross
  
  40.0 
  
  36.0 
  
  40.0 
  
  38.8 
  
  42.8 
  
  43.8 


 Scottish Borders
  
  38.0 
  
  40.5 
  
  41.5 
  
  41.0 
  
  40.5 
  
  45.0 


 Shetland
  
  8.0 
  
  10.0 
  
  13.0 
  
  13.0 
  
  14.0 
  
  14.0 


 South Ayrshire
  
  55.6 
  
  52.4 
  
  54.6 
  
  58.6 
  
  59.2 
  
  62.2 


 South Lanarkshire
  
  21.9 
  
  23.5 
  
  22.0 
  
  23.0 
  
  25.4 
  
  25.0 


 Stirling
  
  16.6 
  
  16.0 
  
  20.0 
  
  24.0 
  
  22.4 
  
  18.0 


 Outside Scotland
  
  36.0 
  
  28.0 
  
  16.0 
  
  14.0 
  
  7.0 
  
  8.0 



  Table B: Civil Servants (Full-Time Equivalents) in the Agencies and Associated Departments within the Scottish Executive Administration

  

 Local 
  Authority
 Year


 1999 
  April
 2000 
  April
 2001 
  April
 2002 
  April
 2003 
  April
 2003 
  Sept*


 Scotland
  
  9,766.4 
  
  9,634.4 
  
  9,735.4 
  
  10,087.9 
  
  10,621.0 
  11,061.3 
  


 Aberdeen City
 Not 
  Available
  
  473.9 

Not Available
  572.0 
  


 Aberdeenshire
  
  305.5 
  277.1 
  


 Angus
 101.6 
  
  
  93.0 


 Argyll and Bute
 29.2 
  
  38.1 
  


 City of Edinburgh
  
  3,466.1 
  
  4,161.0 


 Clackmannanshire
  
  474.5 
  
  416.2 


 Dumfries and Galloway
  
  221.4 
  
  222.9 


 Dundee City
  
  67.3 
  
  117.3 


 East Ayrshire
  
  59.7 
  
  67.4 


 East Dunbartonshire
  
  154.0 
  
  175.8 


 East Lothian
  
  23.8 
  
  22.7 


 Eilean Siar
  
  13.6 
  
  16.6 


 Falkirk
  
  414.5 
  
  558.8 


 Fife
  
  109.1 
  
  112.9 


 Glasgow City
  
  1,177.4 
  
  1,414.1 


 Highland
  
  236.1 
  
  284.7 


 Inverclyde
  
  271.2 
  321.9 
  


 Midlothian
  
  - 
  
  0.4 


 Moray
  
  32.2 
  
  28.7 


 North Ayrshire
  
  - 
  
  1.0 


 North Lanarkshire
  
  614.3 
  
  479.0 


 Orkney
  
  37.6 
  
  29.3 


 Perth and Kinross
  
  572.3 
  
  589.4 


 Renfrewshire
  
  79.6 
  
  131.7 


 Scottish Borders
  
  30.2 
  
  242.5 


 Shetland
  
  14.9 
  
  14.3 


 South Ayrshire
  
  45.0 
  
  50.6 


 South Lanarkshire
  
  201.3 
  
  163.0 


 Stirling
  
  303.1 
  
  351.5 


 West Dunbartonshire
  
  40.9 
  
  50.2 


 West Lothian
  
  63.1 
  
  57.0 


 Outside Scotland
  
  1.0 
  
  - 



  Notes:

  *Includes figures for Communities Scotland.

Civil Service

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the comments made by the Permanent Secretary and reported in the media on 9 October 2003 were supported by a written briefing and, if so, whether a copy of that briefing will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Permanent Secretary has introduced management changes to strengthen and sharpen the capacity of the machinery of government to support ministers when they work collectively. The organisational changes, which are not the subject of any written press briefing, bring together mainly existing parts of the administration alongside existing elements of the Office of the Permanent Secretary.

Civil Service

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the comments made by the Permanent Secretary reported in The Herald on 9 October 2003, (a) whether it will clarify the remit, membership and estimated annual cost of the (i) group for horizon scanning and (ii) performance and innovation unit, (b) what the role, remit and renumeration will be of the "proven performer" to be appointed from the private sector and (c) what the annual cost of the new delivery unit will be.

Mr Andy Kerr: The group charged with horizon scanning is a sub-group of the existing management group, chaired by the Permanent Secretary and including some members of the management group. It will be supported by the strategy unit, which has been drawn from the previously existing policy unit. No additional costs are incurred for this group. The performance and innovation unit will consist of ad hoc teams established on a project by project basis charged with taking forward specific studies to deliver options for policy or delivery improvement. The additional cost of establishing and servicing this unit is expected, given its ad hoc working arrangements, to be small, but cannot be estimated precisely at this stage. A senior figure with appropriate experience, probably gained at least partly in the private sector will head and oversee the work of the performance and innovation unit on a part-time basis. Remuneration, if any, will be settled when someone is identified for the role. The delivery unit has been drawn from the previously existing policy unit and there are no additional costs associated with it.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2776 by Mr Jim Wallace on 30 September 2003, what percentage of new start businesses that it and its agencies assisted in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001 and (d) 2002 are now registered for VAT.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally.

Environment

Campbell Martin (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions abatement notices under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 have been used in relation to offensive odours.

Allan Wilson: This information is not held centrally.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the European Court of Justice’s ruling on the Altmark Trans bus company case will enable the Scottish Executive to adhere to EC state aid rules without putting the Caledonian MacBrayne network out to competitive tender.

Nicol Stephen: The consequences of the Altmark case for ferry services are far from clear. The European Court of Justice’s decision in the Altmark case deals with the interaction between the Treaty and the relevant state aid regulations for bus services. We are currently examining the full implications of the judgement in relation to the separate but similar EC maritime regulations and guidelines. As a matter of urgency, we will seek clarification of the legal position and raise the issue with the European Commission to determine the implications for tendering Calmac ferry services.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government or the European Commission with regard to the European Court of Justice’s ruling on the Altmark on the Trans bus company case and what its position is on any such discussions and the implications of the judgement with regard to (a) overall transport policy, (b) lifeline transport routes in the Highlands and Islands and (c) the tendering process for Caledonian MacBrayne routes.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including European matters which may affect Scotland.

  The consequences of the Altmark judgement are far from clear. The European Court of Justice’s decision deals with the interaction between the treaty and the relevant state aid regulations for bus services. We are currently examining the full implications of the judgement. As a matter of urgency, we will seek clarification of the legal position and raise the issue with the European Commission to determine the implications for tendering Caledonian MacBrayne’s ferry services.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial provision it is making for future years to ensure that the implications of the European Court of Justice’s ruling on the Altmark Trans bus company case allow it to ensure the preservation of lifeline routes in the Highlands and Islands, including the Gourock to Dunoon public service obligation.

Nicol Stephen: The Executive is committed to the maintenance of affordable air and sea links to Scotland’s island and remote communities. There would not be, so far as the Executive is aware, any additional financial implications arising from the ruling.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has sought any independent legal opinion regarding the European Court of Justice’s ruling on the Altmark Trans bus company case and its impact on the Gourock to Dunoon public service obligation and, if so, whether it will publish that opinion.

Nicol Stephen: We are currently examining the full implications of the judgement in relation to EC rules regarding maritime state aids and shall urgently seek to discuss the matter with the European Commission. The Executive has significant legal advice at its disposal. This advice is covered by the code of practice on access to Scottish Executive information at sections 2 and 4.

  It is a matter for the courts to interpret the law.

Ferry Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to promote a second direct ferry link with the continent from Rosyth and, if so, what funding or other support will be made available for any such link.

Nicol Stephen: A Partnership for a Better Scotland commits the Executive to improving Scotland's ferry links to mainland Europe. The objective will be to identify operators willing to offer services on a commercial basis taking into account the support available. While European State aid rules restrict the range of support we can offer, we shall be considering all possible means of encouraging new developments, including the possibility of a freight grant, were it can be demonstrated that a new service would reduce lorry miles in Scotland.

Ferry Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding or other support will be made available to Northlink Ferries, Forth Ports plc and any other appropriate organisation seeking to create a ferry link between the Northern Isles, Aberdeen and Rosyth.

Nicol Stephen: No organisations have approached the Scottish Executive seeking funding or support for such a service. If they were to do so, we would consider with them what support we might be able to offer taking into account the funding sources and constraints mentioned in the answer given to question S2W-3444.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Ferry Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding or other support will be made available to Smyril Line, Forth Ports plc and any other appropriate organisation seeking to create a ferry link between Lerwick, Rosyth and Norway.

Nicol Stephen: No organisations have approached the Scottish Executive seeking funding or support for such a service. Otherwise, I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-3445. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to proposals for workforce planning in the NHS for psychology services, what steps will be taken to introduce an integrated approach to strategic planning for psychology services within the NHS framework at local, regional and national levels and to review current experience of good practice in existing services.

Mr Tom McCabe: Nationally the availability of psychological interventions services needs to be improved. NHS Education Scotland has commissioned a major expansion of training capacity for clinical psychologists while also working to develop greater flexibility in training pathways.

  The Health Department Centre for Change and Innovation hosted a national conference in September to review the strategic direction of psychology services including consideration of service redesign issues to deliver expanded psychological care across the country. Psychology is also represented in the National Mental Health Workforce Group and in the steering group for the Doing Well by People with Depression initiative. These offer valuable opportunities to identify and share good practice.

  The overall objective is to inform strategic workforce planning and care approaches in order to raise the quality, quantity and effectiveness of psychological interventions across the country.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time has been for access to psychology services in each NHS board area in each year since 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not available centrally.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the proposals for workforce planning in the NHS for psychology services, what information it has on what progress has been made with the Leonardo da Vinci project to create a European diploma in psychology and what discussions will be held to include Scotland in the list of nations to take part in the piloting of the project.

Malcolm Chisholm: We understand that the British Psychological Society (UK) has been involved in discussing harmonisation of training and the content of the proposed European diploma in psychology. In respect of the pilot of this project, we understand that this part of the process is at an early stage.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the proposals for workforce planning in the NHS for psychology services, when the code of practice in respect of the assessment, treatment and risk assessment of mentally disordered offenders as a result of changes being introduced by the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 will be available and whether the code will refer explicitly to the work of clinical psychologists.

Malcolm Chisholm: We plan to issue a final version of the code of practice in good time to allow it to be used for implementation purposes, including training. Assuming an implementation date of April 2005 (on which we are consulting at present), we envisage a final version by autumn 2004. In advance of that we are working closely with health and social work professionals and others, and will consult on a final version of the code.

  The code will make clear reference to the input of clinical psychologists in the act’s implementation, and in particular in relation to the assessment, treatment and risk assessment of mentally disordered offenders.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to workforce planning in the NHS for psychology services, what steps will be taken to expand access to psychology services in the clinical priority areas of cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Chief Medical Officer’s June 2003 report, Recent Psychological Research of Significance to the Delivery of Healthcare in Scotland , (which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre, Bib. number. 29821) promotes the extension of psychological interventions to all areas of health and social care and will inform local workforce planning and approaches in this important area of care.

  Cancer managed clinical networks are set up across Scotland involving clinicians from among the relevant disciplines to secure access to the best care possible including psychology services. NHS Education Scotland (NES) has in place a novel funding scheme to expand trainee numbers through matched salary funding for every new clinical psychology trainee supported by NHSScotland. One Regional Cancer Network has taken up this NES funding scheme.

  The Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and Stroke Strategy for Scotland, published in October 2002, provides the framework for the future organisation and delivery of services. Managed Clinical Networks for cardiac services and stroke are being developed in each NHS board area, as the drivers of service change. These networks must include the full range of health professionals who are involved in providing these services. Psychology services should therefore be included wherever appropriate. NHS Quality Improvement Scotland standards for CHD and stroke also emphasise the importance of patients being treated by multi-disciplinary teams.

Justice

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases were dealt with by Glasgow District Court in each of the last three years and what proportion of these were drug related.

Cathy Jamieson: The available information is given in the table. The available data on persons proceeded against for drug offences relate to those prosecuted for offences involving the illegal importation, cultivation, supply or possession of drugs. Other offences may be drug-related, such as those committed to fund a drug habit, but these cannot be separately identified within the statistics held centrally.

  Persons Proceeded Against in Glasgow District Court, 1999-20011

  


 Year 
  of Sentence/Acquittal


 Main Offence
 1999
 2000
 2001


 All crimes and offences
 13,830
 10,080
 8,996


 Drug offences2





 Number
 267
 256
 213


 Per cent of total
 1.9
 2.5
 2.4



  Notes:

  1. Includes Stipendiary Magistrates Court.

  2. All offences involved related to the illegal possession of drugs.

Justice

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the legal age of consent is for homosexual activity between males in Scotland.

Cathy Jamieson: The legal age of consent for homosexual activity between males is 16.

Lifelong Learning

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department will measure the commitment to closing the opportunity gap in employment and training across Scotland.

Lewis Macdonald: We are committed to closing the opportunity gap in employment and training and our lifelong learning strategy, Life Through Learning; Learning Through Life , published in February of this year, demonstrates our commitment to this.

  In terms of measuring our success, the strategy sets out six high level statistical indicators (which align with similar aims set out in A Smart, Successful Scotland, our Social Justice publications, and the partnership agreement) that are aimed at helping us to track progress over the long term.

Lifelong Learning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2773 by Mr Jim Wallace on 2 October 2003, whether it will provide information on performance in each of the last two years against each of the indicators on improving Scotland’s skills base detailed in the answer.

Mr Jim Wallace: The following table details performance against each of the indicators on improving Scotland’s skills base in each of the last two years.

  

 Indicator
 Description
 2001
 2002


 1
 Proportion of 16- to 19-year-olds 
  not in education, employment or training 
 15% 
 14%


 21
 Participation of 16- to 19-year-olds 
  from low income families in school or further education
 37%
 37%


 3
 Graduates as a proportion of 
  the workforce
 18%
 19%


 4
 Proportion of working age adults 
  whose highest qualification is below SCQF 5
 27%
 25%


 5
 Proportion of 18- to 29-year-olds 
  whose highest qualification is below SCQF level 6
 34%
 33%


 6
 Proportion of people in employment 
  undertaking training
 27%
 28%



  Notes:

  1. Indicator 2 is calculated using three year’s combined data (i.e 1998-99 to 2000-01 for the 2001 figure and 1999-2000 to 2001-02 for the 2002 figure) from the Family Resource Survey, in order to ensure sufficient sample size, and projected figures on population and numbers in education for 2001-02.

  Detailed descriptions of the data used are as found in Life through Learning; Learning through Life: The Lifelong Learning Strategy for Scotland. However, Indicator 1 has been calculated using four quarters of Labour Force Survey data (to February 2003) to ensure sufficient sample sizes. This is the format that will be used in the forthcoming 2003 Social Justice Annual Technical Report.

  Indicator 2 is the proportion of 16- to 19-year-olds not in higher education living in private households with gross income below £25,000 who are in school or further education and has been constructed using Family Resource Survey data.

Nursing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to recruit specialist skin cancer nurses to the NHS.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive remains committed to building the capacity of NHSScotland. In order to assist NHS employers meet local health needs, we have invested record sums in health

  A range of recruitment and retention measures have been introduced to help build capacity within the nursing and midwifery workforce.

  As part of our on-going commitment to this improvement agenda, we will increase our programme to train, recruit and retain nurses and midwives, bringing 12,000 into the NHS by 2007.

  Additional help in areas of recruitment will also be provided by Careers for Health with one of its aims being to raise the profile of careers in the NHSScotland.

  Work is, therefore, under way to re-energise recruitment to the health service workforce and redesign jobs where new nursing roles are identified.

  In addition, Scotland’s Cancer Strategy, Cancer in Scotland: Action to Change, recognised that nursing care is not restricted to Clinical Nurse Specialists and that the development of nurses’ skills and experiences is vital to effective patient care in all care settings. Also, a Framework for Nursing People with Cancer is currently being developed.

Public Private Partnerships

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what concerns it has regarding the public private partnership contracts undertaken by East Lothian Council for schools refurbishment and build, given recent events regarding Ballast plc.

Peter Peacock: This is a matter between East Lothian Council and the consortium with whom it has contracted. It is for the consortium to determine how best to meet its contractual obligations.

Public Private Partnerships

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current position is with regard to any delay to the contractual completion date of August 2004 of the East Lothian public private partnership schools project.

Peter Peacock: Details of the contract are matters for East Lothian Council and the consortium with whom it has contracted.

Public Private Partnerships

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any party will incur compensation costs arising from any delay to the East Lothian public private partnership schools project.

Peter Peacock: Details of the contract, including any penalty provisions associated with delays in delivery, are matters for East Lothian Council and the consortium with whom it has contracted.

Public Private Partnerships

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications are for the East Lothian public private partnership schools project of Ballast plc being placed into administration and what the implications would be should the company go into receivership or liquidation.

Peter Peacock: In this public private partnership project, the private sector consortium has contracted to provide a service to standards set out in the contract. If circumstances relating to one of the parties or sub-contractors change, it remains a matter for the consortium as a whole to determine how best to meet its contractual obligations.

Public Private Partnerships

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £43 million East Lothian public private partnership schools contract has been paid to Ballast plc.

Peter Peacock: The normal procedure is for a council to make payments to the consortium with whom it has contracted. Payments made to parties or sub-contractors are matters for the consortium.

Public Private Partnerships

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which parties have underwritten any losses occurring through the default of any of the partners in the East Lothian public private partnership schools project consortium "Innovate East Lothian".

Peter Peacock: This is entirely a matter for the consortium.

Renewable Energy

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the use of Forestry Commission land for the erection of wind farms.

Allan Wilson: Our planning policy guidance is given in National Planning Policy Guideline 6: Renewable Energy Developments . Forestry Commission Scotland serves as the Executive’s forestry department. The corporate plan for the Forestry Commission in Scotland recognises that "Every effort is being made to increase the value and income from leases of many kinds, and from developments such as windfarms, mineral sites and telecommunication masts, for which the national forests can often provide a suitable location." In this way the national forest lands make a considerable contribution to the Executive’s targets for increasing the proportion of power generated from renewable sources.

  All proposals are developed with full public consultation, and detailed plans for careful forest restructuring. The usual planning consents and Environmental Impact Assessments are required and environmental, economic and social issues are taken fully into account.

Roads

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received the final report of the Scottish Road Maintenance Condition Survey, carried out by the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland on behalf of COSLA, and, if so, whether it will make it available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Nicol Stephen: No final report has been received by the Executive.

Scottish Executive Finance

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a specific civil servant responsible for delivering target (a) 3, (b) 4, (c) 7 and (d) 10 of the Justice chapter of its draft budget 2004-05.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what is included as "other means" in target 10 of the Justice chapter of its draft budget 2004-05.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a specific civil servant responsible for delivering target 6 of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service chapter of its draft budget 2004-05.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a specific civil servant responsible for delivering target (a) 2, (b) 7 and (c) 11 of the Education and Young People chapter of its draft budget 2004-05.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a specific civil servant responsible for delivering target (a) 6 and (b) 8 of the Tourism, Culture and Sport chapter of its draft budget 2004-05.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a specific civil servant responsible for delivering target (a) 3 and (b) 6 of the Health and Community Care chapter of its draft budget 2004-05.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional dentists will be required in each NHS board area to meet target 6 of the Health and Community Care chapter of its draft budget 2004-05.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any civil servant responsible for delivering target 3 of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning chapter of its draft budget 2004-05 is also responsible for delivering target 3 of the Tourism, Culture and Sport chapter of the budget.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a specific civil servant responsible for delivering target (a) 4 and (b) 10 of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning chapter of its draft budget 2004-05.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a specific civil servant responsible for delivering target (a) 2 and (b) 12 of the Communities chapter of its draft budget 2004-05.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a specific civil servant responsible for delivering target 8 of the Transport chapter of its draft budget 2004-05.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a specific civil servant responsible for delivering target 4 of the Environment and Rural Development chapter of its draft budget 2004-05.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a specific civil servant responsible for delivering target 8 of the Finance and Public Services chapter of its draft budget 2004-05.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a specific civil servant responsible for delivering target 5 of the Scottish Executive Administration and Associated Departments chapter of its draft budget 2004-05.

Mr Andy Kerr: Scottish Executive ministers are responsible for the delivery of all the targets set out in the Draft Budget 2004-05 .

  Full technical details of the targets set out in Building a Better Scotland: Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the Money Buys and repeated in Draft Budget 2004-05 are set out in Spending Proposals 2003-2006 – Technical Notes, available on the Scottish Executive website at the following address:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/finance/technotes2.pdf.

Scottish Executive Publications

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of (a) printing and production of and (b) postage for (i) consultation and (ii) guidance documents issued to representative bodies has been within its Development Department in each of the last five years.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of (a) printing and production of and (b) postage for (i) consultation and (ii) guidance documents issued to representative bodies has been within its Education Department in each of the last five years.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of (a) printing and production of and (b) postage for (i) consultation and (ii) guidance documents issued to representative bodies has been within its Justice Department in each of the last five years.

Mr Andy Kerr: Consultation and guidance documents are issued in various formats from a number of areas within the department. The costs of printing, production and postage of such documents form part of the general running costs of each constituent part of the department and are not logged separately.

Scottish Water

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many employees Scottish Water expects to have in 2006.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance Scottish Water will give to employees who leave the organisation over the next year.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many employees who have left Scottish Water since its establishment have subsequently taken up employment in companies associated with Scottish Water Solutions Ltd and its parent companies.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Water’s voluntary severance programme has achieved its objectives

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets have been set by Scottish Water in relation to its voluntary severance programme.

Ross Finnie: This is an operational matter for Scottish Water.

Scottish Water

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how Scottish Water’s rate of return of 7.3% in 2002-03 compares to other similar organisations in the UK and internationally.

Ross Finnie: The rate of return for English and Welsh water and sewerage companies is published annually by OFWAT. Details may be found in the annual financial performance and expenditure report on the website at http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/.

Social Inclusion

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the tourism, culture and sport budget is committed to tackling disadvantage in communities across Scotland and how progress in achieving this objective will be measured.

Mr Frank McAveety: The tourism, culture and sport portfolio has a commitment "to enhance everyone's quality of life in Scotland through widening participation in sport and culture and building on a successful and sustainable tourism sector to create jobs and opportunity across Scotland". To help meet that commitment, the Scottish budget 2003-06 set targets and invests an extra £3.85 million in 2004-05 and £6.95 million in 2005-06 for cultural activities across Scotland, with the specific aims of increasing participation, particularly by under-represented groups, (under-represented groups includes children, young people, older people, women, disabled people, people from minority ethnic groups, people living in rural areas, and socially excluded people) and boosting the number of cultural and sporting programmes in areas of economic and social disadvantage.

  We have a specific objective of supporting social inclusion by ensuring the widest possible involvement in cultural, social and sporting opportunities which will be measured against a target of increasing the numbers of under-represented groups, especially children and young people, taking part in cultural and sporting activity by 5%. Statistical data to support the measurement of progress against the portfolio targets will be collected as part of a major new annual statistical exercise among the cultural non-departmental public bodies.

  The action we are taking under A Partnership for a Better Scotland will help maximise the benefits of cultural provision in areas of disadvantage to promote the regeneration of individuals and communities. We are also working with the local authorities to help develop local cultural provision and spread good practice in this area.

  The majority of the tourism, culture and sport budget is allocated to a range of national agencies who are prioritising their programmes in accordance with the Executive’s policies and to meet the budget targets for tackling disadvantage. To obtain detail on how these bodies allocate their respective budgets, I suggest the member writes to the chief executive of each.

  The relevant organisations are:

  Bord Na Gaidhlig (Alba) (Board for Gaelic in Scotland)

  National Galleries of Scotland

  National Library of Scotland

  National Museums of Scotland

  Scottish Arts Council

  Scottish Screen

  sportscotland

  VisitScotland

  Historic Scotland

Student Loans

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2426 by Mr Jim Wallace on 19 September 2003, whether it has made any representation or recommendations to Her Majesty’s Government in respect of increasing the income threshold at which graduates start to repay their student loans and, if so, what representations or recommendations it has made.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including the repayment threshold for student loans.

Transport

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what role Strathclyde Passenger Transport will have in Transport Scotland.

Nicol Stephen: Transport Scotland is proposed to be a strategic body for Scotland as a whole which would work closely with transport bodies across the country. We are currently consulting on the new agency; stronger regional transport partnerships; and Strathclyde Passenger Transport and this consultation will close on 17 December this year.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

New Parliament Building

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Presiding Officer what the estimated annual cost of insurance was for the new Parliament building when the site at Holyrood was chosen and what the estimated annual cost of insuring the building is now.

Mr George Reid: In line with the Scottish Executive and other bodies financed from the Scottish consolidated fund, the Parliament follows a policy of self-insurance and therefore does not insure its buildings against loss or damage.